llvm / llvm/circt

Feature request: add UDP support

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C++
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Description

Support for SystemVerilog User-Defined Primitives (UDPs) is currently missing in CIRCT. Although obsolete for frontend RTL design, UDPs are still ubiquitous in gate-level netlists and foundry-provided simulation models.

Adding UDP support will significantly broaden CIRCT's real-world applicability in the following scenarios:
1. **Gate-Level Netlist Processing:** Allows frontends (like Moore or slang-based parsers) to successfully ingest and lower post-synthesis netlists without choking on primitive definitions.
2. **ASIC-to-FPGA Prototyping:** Facilitates the translation, mapping, or black-boxing of ASIC cell library models containing combinational/sequential UDP tables into FPGA-compatible IR.
3. **Ecosystem Interoperability:** Enhances CIRCT's readiness for formal verification and physical design automation tools that interact directly with commercial PDKs.

I'd like to work on this if possible.

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Research direction

The issue names Moore and slang-based parsers as relevant frontends; start by tracing how existing primitive definitions are parsed and lowered in those paths. Completion should cover SystemVerilog UDP definitions, including combinational and sequential tables, for the gate-level and simulation-model scenarios described.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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